Americans move constantly. Statistics show that about 16 percent of people in the United States move every single year. Nearly half of them (43 percent) move outside of the town or city they lived in previously.
At the same time, the stats indicate that those between 20 years old and 34 years old move most often. For instance, many college students move every single year as they find new roommates or just rent new homes and apartments. But this trend continues long after college.
This age group is also the same one that often has young children in the home. People tend to get married in their mid to late twenties or early thirties. Many have kids. As much as those kids value stability, they still move more often than older couples.
Finally, one clear catalyst that makes a lot of people move is when their marriages end. Divorce causes them to sell homes and look for places to live on their own. Some may consider a relocation after the divorce as they try to essentially start their lives over again. They need a change.
The problem with moving
The issue with moving after divorce is that relocation may interfere with child custody rights. The court can and sometimes does deny a move. Some freedom is lost with joint parenting.
For instance, your spouse may originally be from New York. The two of you met in North Carolina during college. After the divorce, they want to move back to New York.
The problem is that, while your ex has custody of the kids, you have visitation rights. You even get custody every other weekend. When you both live in Asheville, that’s not hard to schedule. If your spouse heads to New York, you’ll rarely — if ever — see the kids again.
To move, your ex has to get the court to approve it. Some common reasons a move may get approval include getting a better job offer, improving the child’s quality of life, getting accepted into college or moving closer to extended family members.
What age is easiest for the kids?
Experts note that moving is especially hard to with very young children. Some recommend waiting until the children are around 3 years old.
This way, they have more language skills and cognitive abilities. They can actually have long-distance relationships. This allows them to keep in touch with a parent who is physically unable to see them very often. As they get older, they may be able to communicate on the phone, via video chat, in letters or through text messaging. Remember, the court does usually want to keep both parents involved in some fashion.
The complexities of moving
Relocations can get very complex. Make sure you know your legal rights.
